Sunset Hills Candidate List Shows Contested Races in Three Wards, Unopposed Mayor | The Locally Times
Official city records for the April 7 election show incumbent aldermen in Wards 2, 3, and 4 face challengers, while the mayor is unopposed and the Ward 1 seat is open.
The official list of candidates for the April 7, 2026, Sunset Hills municipal election reveals a competitive environment for three of the city’s four aldermanic seats, but shows incumbent Mayor Patricia Fribis running unopposed. A detailed review of the candidate filing document, posted by the City of Sunset Hills, clarifies the electoral landscape and corrects initial assumptions about the scope of contested races. While challengers have emerged to compete for seats on the Board of Aldermen, the city’s records confirm that the mayoral race is uncontested and the Ward 1 race is for an open seat, with no incumbent listed on the ballot. The election will determine the composition of local leadership as residents in several other area municipalities, including Webster Groves, Town and Country, and Des Peres, also head to the polls on the same day. The document explicitly identifies Fribis as the incumbent. The absence of any other listed candidates indicates she is running for re-election without a challenger on the April 7 ballot. In Ward 1, the situation is different. Two candidates, Natalie Akins and Frank Hardy, have filed for the position of Alderman. However, the official city document does not identify an incumbent for the Ward 1 seat. This contrasts with the listings for Wards 2, 3, and 4, where the city clearly labels the incumbent candidates. Based on the public filing record, the Ward 1 contest is an open-seat race between Akins and Hardy to determine new representation for the ward. The public record does not identify the current alderperson for Ward 1 or provide a reason for their absence from the 2026 ballot. Whether the incumbent chose not to seek re-election or for other reasons is not specified in the documents available from the city. This absence of a named incumbent is a significant discrepancy from any narrative suggesting all four wards feature a challenge to a sitting official. ## Contested Races in Wards 2, 3, and 4 The candidate filings confirm that incumbent aldermen in three of the city’s four wards will face competition. These contested races ensure that voters in a majority of the city will have a choice in their local representation on the Board of Aldermen. In Ward 2, incumbent Alderman Casey F. Wong faces two challengers. The city’s list shows that Greg Zveitel and Mark Schwarz have both filed to run for the seat, creating a three-way race for the position. In Ward 3, incumbent Alderman Kurtis Krueger is being challenged by Angie Weigel. The filing list shows a two-person race for the ward’s representation. Similarly, Ward 4 features a one-on-one contest. Incumbent Alderman Mark Colombo is facing a challenge from Cathy Friedmann, who has also filed for the seat. The outcomes of these three elections will directly influence the balance and priorities of the next Board of Aldermen. ## Clarifying the Electoral Record Contradicting the headline premise that incumbents face challengers in all four wards, the primary source document from the City of Sunset Hills presents a more nuanced picture. The official candidate list is the definitive record of who will appear on the ballot. That record shows: * An uncontested race for Mayor, with only the incumbent, Patricia Fribis, having filed. * An open-seat race in Ward 1 between two non-incumbent candidates. * Contested races in Wards 2, 3, and 4, where incumbents face one or more challengers. Therefore, the assertion of a universal challenge to all incumbents is not supported by the city's own election documents. The discrepancy highlights the importance of examining primary source records to confirm the specific nature of electoral contests. ## Election Context and What Remains Unknown The Sunset Hills election is part of a broader day of civic activity across the region. Municipalities including Crestwood, Overland, and Arnold will also hold general municipal elections on April 7, 2026. For all jurisdictions, the deadline for residents to register to vote was March 11, 2026, according to records from the St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners. The same records state that polls will close at 7 p.m. on election day. While the candidate list provides a clear roster of who is running, it does not offer insight into the substance of the campaigns. The public documents do not contain information on the candidates' platforms, policy priorities, or the specific local issues that may be motivating the challenges in Wards 2, 3, and 4. Furthermore, no records concerning campaign finances, endorsements, or donor information were included in the materials provided. What to watch for next will be the results of the three contested aldermanic races, which hold the potential to shift the dynamics of the Board of Aldermen. The election will also bring a new, non-incumbent voice to the board from Ward 1, regardless of the outcome between the two candidates.